Top Health Tips on Living with ADD/ADHD

Adhd, which stands for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, is a chronic brain condition that leads to difficulty in prolonging attention on to a single thing, impulsiveness and hyperactivity. Though it mostly affects children and teenagers, it often continues into adult life as well, and can pose serious issues in adult lives - ;specially in maintaining jobs and relationships.

Effects of adhd on your sex life:


Impulsivity: if you are suffering from adhd, it is highly probable that you are often very impulsive in nature - and are susceptible to taking a number of risky decisions, such as unprotected sex.
Attention-deficit problems: since your thoughts are often jumping from one thought to the other, you will find it very difficult to actually concentrate on any single job at hand. Since sex requires attention and use of judgment, distractions can prove to be detrimental to a healthy sex life.
Hyper-sexuality: this refers to the condition of an unnaturally high sex drive. It is basically caused by the stimulation of the brain by the release of endorphins during sexual arousal, which often leads to calmness and relaxes the restlessness that is otherwise so common to adhd patients.
Hypo-sexuality: this is exact opposite of hypersexuality. This condition refers to an unnaturally low sex drive, where you may often lose all interest in sexual activity completely. Often, this is a product of adhd itself, but it can also be attributed to being a side effect of a certain type of medication, especially anti-depressants. ;
Other disorders: women suffering from adhd have been known to have difficulties in achieving orgasm, often in spite of prolonged sexual stimulation. Also, if you are suffering from adhd, you may also tend to be hypersensitive - which implies, something that feels pleasurable to your partner, may be painful or irritating for you.


Suggested treatments:

Certain suggested treatments for improving the sex lives of people suffering from adhd are:


Including variety in sexual activity, such as different locations, positions etc.
Communication, which proves very beneficial in combating intimacy issues
Prioritize, and try to stay in the moment and not zone out, if you are suffering from adhd disorders

Are you aware of behavioral and emotional disorders in children? During the developmental years of a child, constant growth and change are signified. This fact should be strictly kept in mind while dealing with behavioral and emotional disorders in children. Brain disorders like bipolar disorder, depression and anxiety disorders may affect any child during early childhood. The assistance of a mental health professional should be taken while dealing with these problems. On a global scale, almost 15% of children suffer from behavioral disorders. Among the different forms of behavioral disorders, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) accounts for being one of the most common ones.

Here is a list of the different forms of behavioral and emotional disorders, which are observed in children:

ADHD- This common mental disorder in children is more common in boys than in girls. Commonly, children affected with this disorder are unable to finish familiar tasks, plan or sit still. They may even lose awareness about what goes around them. ADHD-affected children may seem fine on some days, but on other days, they may experience disorganized and frenzied activities. This disorder may continue into adolescence and adulthood as well. There are several treatment options for ADHD, which may include medications, therapy and educational options.

Autism- Children affected with autism seem to become indifferent, remote and isolated in a world of their own. They are unable to form emotional ties with other people or their peers. Autism is more likely to occur in boys than in girls. The condition may result in language delays, mental retardation, and in some cases, a child may suffer high functioning and usual speech and intelligence. This is because the brain of such children functions differently than others. Consistency is very important for managing autism in children.

Bipolar Disorder- This disorder is most likely to begin in early childhood and it continues into adulthood. It is featured by extreme mood swings in the patient. A child may have extremely high or euphoric feelings, but his mood may turn into depression and sadness all of a sudden. This condition is a genetic illness, and it is often mistaken or misdiagnosed as ADHD.

Anxiety- Anxiety disorders make children feel uneasy, distressed and unusually scared for no appropriate reason. Panic disorders, featured, by intense episodes of fear, which occur without any kind of provocation or signal are a common type of anxiety disorder. OCD or obsessive compulsive disorder, which is repetitive and compulsive in nature, is another type of anxiety disorder.

It is very important to treat and deal with children s behavioral and emotional disorders at an early stage. Early diagnosis enables an early start of treatment, which prevents further degradation of the condition.

Adhd, which stands for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, is a chronic brain condition that leads to difficulty in prolonging attention on to a single thing, impulsiveness and hyperactivity. Though it mostly affects children and teenagers, it often continues into adult life as well, and can pose serious issues in adult lives - specially in maintaining jobs and relationships.

Effects of adhd on your sex life:


Impulsivity: if you are suffering from adhd, it is highly probable that you are often very impulsive in nature - and are susceptible to taking a number of risky decisions, such as unprotected sex. 
Attention-deficit problems: since your thoughts are often jumping from one thought to the other, you will find it very difficult to actually concentrate on any single job at hand. Since sex requires attention and use of judgment, distractions can prove to be detrimental to a healthy sex life.
Hyper-sexuality: this refers to the condition of an unnaturally high sex drive. It is basically caused by the stimulation of the brain by the release of endorphins during sexual arousal, which often leads to calmness and relaxes the restlessness that is otherwise so common to adhd patients.
Hypo-sexuality: this is exact opposite of hypersexuality. This condition refers to an unnaturally low sex drive, where you may often lose all interest in sexual activity completely. Often, this is a product of adhd itself, but it can also be attributed to being a side effect of a certain type of medication, especially anti-depressants. 
Other disorders: women suffering from adhd have been known to have difficulties in achieving orgasm, often in spite of prolonged sexual stimulation. Also, if you are suffering from adhd, you may also tend to be hypersensitive - which implies, something that feels pleasurable to your partner, may be painful or irritating for you.


Suggested treatments:

Certain suggested treatments for improving the sex lives of people suffering from adhd are:


Including variety in sexual activity, such as different locations, positions etc.
Communication, which proves very beneficial in combating intimacy issues
Prioritize, and try to stay in the moment and not zone out, if you are suffering from adhd disorders

Is your child irritable? Not eating well or underperforming at school?

Relax! Losing your mind and temper won't help.

There are chances that your child is under stress and needs your support during this testing time. Let's gain a better understanding of the problem as a mature step towards positive parenting.

Stress, either intrinsic or extrinsic, can affect your child as easily as it may affect you. There are several causes as to why your child may also be stress-laden even at such a tender age. As pre-schoolers, the major cause of stress stems from the anxiety of leaving their parents and spending long hours in an external environment. As a child grows up, further causes of stress may include:

Overwhelming schedule due to a large number of academic and extra-curricular activities
High expectations of parents and pressure to perform
Lifestyle or status associated peer-pressure
Conflict between parents / domestic violence / Divorce of parents
Moving to a new town or city
Serious illness
Physiological changes during puberty
Worry about getting along with friends
Warning signals that your child is under stress:

Aggression: Children are prone to a high number of aggressive outbursts as they are not as much in control of their emotions as adults are. They may often react with physical aggression (biting, kicking, or hitting) or verbal aggression (screaming or abusing). This can, however, be curbed in a number of ways such as setting firm and consistent limits, and avoiding instilling in them the idea of 'toughness'.
Bed wetting: Though stress and anxiety may not be essential causes that lead to the advent of bedwetting in children, it often accentuates the same. You should reassure your child that you are not angry when he/she has an accident and see the doctor to rule out any other medical causes.
Hyperactive behavior: When children can't handle stress, they release negative energy. Having temper tantrums, running away, or constantly being disobedient are ways to alert adults that there is a problem. Help your child burn off energy in a positive, calming way. Deep breathing exercises, listening to soothing music, stretching, or yoga help.
Withdrawal: Social withdrawal and being frequently moody or irritable can often arise from high levels of stress, social fear and anxiety in children. Offer plenty of positive attention and speak to your child's teacher if you suspect he/she is having trouble with friends at school.
Eating and sleeping disorders: If your child is sleeping less or sleeping more than usual, then it might be an indication that something is not right with your child. Likewise, if there is any change in an eating pattern which you find abnormal, then it indicates trouble. This may often stem from stress or anxiety-related issues and hamper the proper growth and nutrient intake in a growing child.
How you can help your child?

There are several things you can do to help your child work through his/her problems when it comes to combating stress and anxiety. These include:

Have a friendly relation with kids so that they feel free to share their problems/ feelings. Kids generally hide things out of fear. Motivate them to express and share their worries.
Try to understand the cause of the stress. Talk about their fears and apprehensions. Make them feel they are understood.
Do not force them to sleep or eat. Encourage to eat well and sleep in time.
The child should be encouraged to indulge in some physical activities like walk/ jog/sports and relaxation exercises like deep breathing/meditation
Avoid burdening them with studies and co-curricular activities. Identify their abilities and interest and respect individual limitations. Don't burden them with your expectations.
There should be sufficient breaks in between studies for rejuvenation. It motivates and enhances productivity.
Avoid demeaning/insulting remarks. Avoid comparisons with other kids.
Avoid negative reactions like scolding/sarcasm/shouting/beating. Teach the child appropriate ways of managing emotions like open communication, sharing a state of mind with peers and parents and appropriate anger management techniques.
You should also talk to teachers and peers if you suspect any problem at school and find a solution through their help.
Teach the child about time management. Let them know how to prioritize work according to importance and urgency of the task.

ADHD or Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder refers to those psychological disorders, which significantly alter a child's behavior and considerably affects his or her relationships with others. This condition is seldom preceded by perceptible symptoms and even when they do, they are difficult to decipher. However some of them are:

Self-centered: Those children who suffer from the attention deficit hyperactivity syndrome tend to be encapsulated in their own subjectivity. Though this does seem harmless apparently, this tendency may lead them to be insensitive to other's needs and wants.
Emotional outbursts: ADHD makes children extremely susceptible to frequent emotional outbursts and makes them erratic.
Difficulty in concentration: Children who suffer from ADHD face extreme difficulty in concentrating or focusing on things. Many a times they fail to repeat what was told to them.
There might be several causes which can contribute to the development of this disorder. Some of them are:

A drastic change in the child's lives: A sudden or a drastic change like the divorce of parents may severely affect the child and maim him emotionally. This may lead to the development of this disorder.
Depression: Though always associated with adults, depression can be and is common among children as well. In such instances, a consequent development of ADHD is highly plausible.
Bipolar disorder: Bipolar disorder refers to excessive and incomprehensible mood swings. Many children suffer from it in their early lives, making them susceptible to ADHD.
Notwithstanding the ambiguity and the erratic nature of the disorder, there might be preventive measures which parents might adopt to deter the outbreak of the disorder. Some of them are:

Less use of preservatives: Parents must be careful about what their children eat. Those foods which contain a certain amount of preservatives tend to aggravate the disorder thereby causing more harm than good.
Consider alternative forms of medications: Another way of dealing with this problem is by exploring other forms of medications and not sticking to one form. In this respect, practicing yoga may be very beneficial.

Homeopathy and its role in treating ADHD

A brain disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is characterized by a continuous pattern of hyperactivity and inattention, resulting in interference with normal development and functioning. The term is applied to both adults and children who exhibit these two characteristics over a long period of time. The condition is usually discovered during a child's early school years, between the third and sixth year (during which he or she may display problems associated with attention) and can go on into adulthood. Although medications are available under western medical science for treating this condition, they aren't free from any side effects.

Which remedies are generally used for treating ADHD?

Homeopathic remedies can help in easing some of the symptoms of this condition, making it easy for children to take part in normal school and social activities. A homeopath prescribes the relevant remedies after having a clear understanding of your characteristics. Some of the medicines that are used for treating the condition are Cina, Hyoscyamus Niger and Stramonium. While Cina is prescribed for alleviating aggressive behavior, Stramonium is recommended for treating fears or PTSD and Hyoscyamus Niger for sexualized or manic symptoms. But the one remedy that is most preferred for treating the varied symptoms of ADHD is Tarentula Hispana.

How is homeopathy different from conventional medicine?

When it comes to the homeopathic treatment approach for ADHD, it differs from conventional western medicine in two very different ways. Firstly, the treatment is personalized to suit your needs and health condition. For this reason, the remedy that is suggested to you differs from the one that is suggested to another individual. Such an approach allows a homeopath to better help you by addressing your specific symptoms compared to the conventional treatment of ADHD. Secondly, it treats the condition using smaller doses of the remedies and not higher doses so as to not aggravate the symptoms of ADHD.

In addition to being safe and non-toxic, when these homeopathic remedies are taken along with dietary modifications and lifestyle changes, they can bring about vital improvements in your health.

If you would like to consult with me privately, please click on 'Consult'.

Parents get very concerned when they are just not able to hold their child s attention who is restless, hyperactive, anxious, highly energetic, and never attentive. For some, this could initially be an exciting phase but can be an indication of some serious underlying disorder too.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or hyperactive disorder or ADHD as it is commonly known is a group of symptoms including behavioural, mood, cognitive, and learning disabilities with a lot of aggression, irritability, excitability, forgetfulness, restlessness, reduced attention span, etc. in these children. Listed below are the common symptoms, which are almost diagnostic of ADHD are:

The impact is felt across all spheres of life including home, academics, school life, and in relationships with friends.

Usually seen in children before the age of 7.
With very short attention spans, the child constantly looks for something to do and be engaged.
Very easy to get distracted even when engaged, the child is very restless.
Sleep disorders.
With constantly being on the toes, the child feels tired and lethargic.
Difficulty prioritising and frequent procrastination.
They forget things quite easily and would ask for help with coordinating movements.
Rare, but some children can have learning disabilities like dyslexia, but their intelligence levels are not affected.
Disorganisation, leading to poor motor coordination and impaired movements.
Difficulties with fine motor and cognitive skills may cause delay in engagement in sports.
Causes

Diet changes with rise in processed foods and sugary diet.
Social changes like nuclear families, single parents, lack of siblings, etc.
Increased time spent with electronic devices.
Homoeopathy has an effective cure for ADHD as it looks at the child holistically and proposes remedies. Homeopathic constitutional treatment provides an effective solution for adhd. Some common remedies are listed below. A word of caution though never self-medicate using these. ADHD is a complex condition and should be assessed completely before initiating treatment.

Homeopathy is used in ADHD where symptoms are across the spectrum - hyperactive to complete withdrawal, completely based on symptoms and psychotherapy plays an important role in treatment through behaviour modification techniques like CBT.

Growth hormone or somatropin is responsible for cell growth as well as reproduction. But insufficient somatropin production by the pituitary gland may result in lack in height. It is mostly caused by a serious brain injury, any prevalent medical condition or might occur as a birth defect.

Types:

Congenital GHD - This form of GHD appears from at the time of birth itself.
Acquired GHD- GHD can be acquired during later life as a result of trauma, infection, tumor growth within the brain or radiation therapy.
Idiopathic GHD- Idiopathic GHD is the third, and comparatively worst kind of GHD since it has no treatment.
GHD is mostly permanent, but can also be transient. Read on to know how to detect whether you or your child is suffering from growth hormone deficiency (GHD).

Symptoms:
Childhood onset:

Restricted height- Compared to other children of your child's age, he/she may be of shorter height, which is a rather conclusive sign to detect somatropin deficiency.
Chubby and comparatively younger appearance- Your child may have a proportionate body, but if he/she is unnaturally chubby and has a baby-face compared to other children, he/she may be suffering from GHD.
Late puberty- Your child's puberty maybe later than usual or even not appear at all, depending upon the gravity of the GHD.
Hypoglycemia and exaggerated jaundice- Low blood sugar is amongst the most primary manifestations of GHD, along with extended duration of jaundice.
Micro-penis- Micro penis condition is one of the incident signs of GHD, which later escalates to growth deficit as the infant gets older.
Adult onset:

Fatigue- Adults with GHD may experience extreme tiredness throughout the day, with reduced muscle strength.
Osteoporosis- Osteoporosis, along with bodily deformities, is a common sign in adults with GHD.
Lipid abnormalities- A test of your lipid profile may reveal abnormalities in LDL cholesterol, insulin resistance, and impaired cardiac functions.
Tests to determine GHD:

Physical test- A chart is drawn to determine the proportion of height and weight with respect to your age to detect anomalies.
Hand X-ray- A hand X-ray can determine whether the age of bones are at par with your age.
MRI-MRI scan can determine the health of your brain and pituitary gland.
Test for other hormones- Growth Hormone may not be solely responsible for your health condition, so it is important to determine if other hormone levels are all normal.
Treatment:

Hormone supplements- Hormone supplements like corticosteroids (hydrocortisone or prednisone), Levothyroxine (levoxyl, synthroid, etc), and others work to replenish the deficiency of pituitary hormones.
Growth hormone injection- GH is injected beneath your skin, to cure GDH. This is a long-term treatment and requires constant monitoring.

Hello!

My name is Dr. Gayatri Chaudhary. I work at Suasth One Step clinic as a consultant psychiatrist. Today we are going to talk about common illness in children. The first illness that we are going to talk about is ADHD. Now what is he full form of ADHD? ADHD means Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. What are the symptoms of ADHD? So the children have hyperactivity as the name suggests. Hyperactivity means that the child has difficulty sitting at one place. Now this difficulty sitting in one place should be either in school or at home. Most of the time it should be at more than one place. So the child is hyperactive, cannot sit at one place, is always on the go, cannot wait for his turn at class, is always disturbing other children in class and when the child is at home, again the child cannot stay at home, he cannot concentrate on activities and is driven by a motor of sorts. There is another component to the illness that is inattention. Now in inattention the children are unable to concentrate or lack attention.

As the name suggests, ADHD, so this is the inattention part. Now in inattention, children usually lack their concentration levels. They are not able to concentrate in any activity. Primarily, patients complain about their lack of attention in studies, but their inattention very well be in other aspects like they are doing some project work from school, or any other task, or for that matter sports like playing cricket or playing football or any cube play. The other component of ADHD is high impulsivity. So the child cannot wait for his turn in the class. He blurts out answers when its not needed. He is always on the go and the child usually wants to talk when not asked and he wants to leave his seat when he is not asked to. So there will be frequent complaints from the school teacher that the child is not sitting at one place, he s disturbing others in school and he is not able to concentrate on his studies. One more common complaint that the school might complaint about is that the child is difficulty in remembering his syllabus or remembering what is taught in class. He forgets his belongings in school. He forgets his pencils, erasers and notebooks in school and because of these complaints.

We should be wary of does our child have ADHD. Now the good part about this is that it can be treated. It can be treated with medication and it can be treated with therapy. Medications many a time we are sceptical about whether to start the child on medication, but, because the child is inattentive, because he is hyperactive, the child is not able to use his or her capabilities to her best, that s why it causes problems in academics, it causes problems with peer relations with other children in the school and it causes problem in the households also. So it is very important to get the ADHD treated. Now medications that are available are, you can easily consult a psychiatrist and get the child evaluated and start on medication. There are therapies available.

Like you can take the child for occupational therapy or remedial education or remedial therapy. All these things are going to help the child to be good in academics as well as their peer relationships and it would help the child in their further studies. To know more about ADHD you can book an appointment with lybrate.com .

Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is among the most common neurobehavioral disorders presenting for treatment in children and adolescents. ADHD is often chronic with prominent symptoms and impairment spanning into adulthood. ADHD is often associated with co-occurring disorders including disruptive, mood, anxiety, and substance abuse. The diagnosis of ADHD is clinically established by review of symptoms and impairment. The biological underpinning of the disorder is supported by genetic, neuroimaging, neurochemistry and neuropsychological data. Consideration of all aspects of an individual s life needs to be considered in the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD.

Specialized educational planning based on the child s difficulties is necessary in a majority of cases. Since learning disorders co-occur in one-third of ADHD youth, ADHD individuals should be screened and appropriate individualised educational plans developed. Educational adjustments should be considered in individuals with ADHD with difficulties in behavioral or academic performance.

Symptoms in children and teenagers

The symptoms of ADHD in children and teenagers are well defined, and they're usually noticeable before the age of six. They occur in more than one situation, such as at home and at school. The main signs of each behavioural problem are detailed below:

Inattentiveness: having a short attention span and being easily distracted making careless mistakes for example, in schoolwork appearing forgetful or losing things being unable to stick at tasks that are tedious or time-consuming appearing to be unable to listen to or carry out instructions constantly changing activity or task having difficulty organising tasks
Hyperactivity and impulsiveness: being unable to sit still, especially in calm or quiet surroundings constantly fidgeting being unable to concentrate on tasks excessive physical movement excessive talking being unable to wait their turn acting without thinking interrupting conversations little or no sense of danger
These symptoms can cause significant problems in a child's life, such as underachievement at school, poor social interaction with other children and adults, and problems with discipline.

Related conditions in children and teenagers

Although not always the case, some children may also have signs of other problems or conditions alongside ADHD, such as:

anxiety disorder which causes your child to worry and be nervous much of the time; it may also cause physical symptoms, such as a rapid heartbeat, sweating and dizziness
oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) this is defined by negative and disruptive behaviour, particularly towards authority figures, such as parents and teachers
conduct disorder this often involves a tendency towards highly antisocial behaviour, such as stealing, fighting, vandalism and harming people or animals
depression
sleep problems finding it difficult to get to sleep at night, and having irregular sleeping patterns
autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) this affects social interaction, communication, interests and behaviour
epilepsy a condition that affects the brain and causes repeated fits or seizures
Tourette s syndrome a condition of the nervous system, characterised by a combination of involuntary noises and movements called tics
learning difficulties such as dyslexia Symptoms in adults In adults, the symptoms of ADHD are more difficult to define. This is largely due to a lack of research into adults with ADHD.
It's known that symptoms of ADHD often persist from childhood into a person's teenage years, and then adulthood. Any additional problems or conditions experienced by children with ADHD, such as depression or dyslexia, may also continue into adulthood. By the age of 25, an estimated 15% of people diagnosed with ADHD as children still have a full range of symptoms, and 65% still have some symptoms that affect their daily lives. The symptoms in children and teenagers, which are listed above, is sometimes also applied to adults with possible ADHD. But some specialists say that the way in which inattentiveness, hyperactivity and impulsiveness affect adults can be very different from the way they affect children. For example, hyperactivity tends to decrease in adults, while inattentiveness tends to get worse as the pressure of adult life increases. Adult symptoms of ADHD also tend to be far more subtle than childhood symptoms.

Some specialists have suggested the following list of symptoms associated with ADHD in adults:

carelessness and lack of attention to detail
continually starting new tasks before finishing old ones
poor organisational skills
inability to focus or prioritise
continually losing or misplacing things
forgetfulness
restlessness and edginess
difficulty keeping quiet and speaking out of turn
blurting out responses and often interrupting others
mood swings, irritability and a quick temper
inability to deal with stress
extreme impatience
taking risks in activities, often with little or no regard for personal safety or the safety of others for example, driving dangerously
Additional problems in adults with ADHD As with ADHD in children and teenagers, ADHD in adults can occur alongside several related problems or conditions. One of the most common conditions is depression. Other conditions that adults may have alongside ADHD include:

personality disorders conditions in which an individual differs significantly from an average person, in terms of how they think, perceive, feel or relate to others
bipolar disorder a condition that affects your moods, which can swing from one extreme to another
obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) a condition that causes obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviour
The behavioural problems associated with ADHD can also cause problems such as difficulties with relationships, social interaction, drugs and crime. Some adults with ADHD find it hard to find and stay in a job. If you notice any of the above in your child or yourself , it is worth making the effort and spending some time and money to have your child and or yourself assessed on a priority basis as ADHD causes neural changes in the brain.